Political Rights Enforcement and Democratic Framework Strengthening

Abstract

This study examines the enforcement of political rights and the protection of democracy through an analysis of the Human Rights Act, the Election Act, and the Regional Government Act. Although these legal frameworks normatively provide strong foundations for safeguarding citizens’ political rights, their implementation faces persistent challenges. Phenomena such as vote-buying, information inequality, institutional fragmentation, and disparities in local government capacity reveal a gap between legal norms and practical outcomes. Using a normative juridical approach, this study evaluates regulatory structures, enforcement effectiveness, and the need for legal reconstruction to ensure that democracy functions substantively. The findings highlight that political rights enforcement cannot rely solely on legislation; it also requires institutional strengthening, improved public political literacy, and adaptive oversight mechanisms responsive to social and technological developments. This research underscores the urgency of multidimensional reform to ensure that the protection of political rights operates effectively, inclusively, and consistently with the objectives of modern democratic governance.